Binnacle Island......Here we all come!

This weekend begins the 2009 version of a "wild and crazy week" up in the 1,000 Islands. The whole fam damly will be there along with Teagan's 1st island trip. I have a feeling that her "island" days will be frequent over the next 50 years.......which island will be the only determination for this little girl.

Stand by for some good pictures of fun on the "rock"!!

Wellington, Ontario

It is always a fine time when we can make it to Wellington. The entrance is always interesting (very narrow with big rocks) but if one can make it into the entrance the town and warm water is great! This year there was 4 feet of water in the channel so no problem with getting in. There was shoaling at the public dock but we made it over the thin water went directly to our favorite sandbar and spent the next two nights swimming and cleaning Grey Hound. Wellington is the town that is closest to Sandbanks Provincial Park which boasts some of the nicest and biggest sand dunes on Lake Ontario. We try to make it there at least once a summer. If you can get in there it's some of the best holding and protected anchorages on the lake!!!!

For the return trip to Fair Haven we had to battle light "on the nose" winds and a big "A" thunderstorm but in the end we wrapped up the day with a nice 10-14kt sail for the last 14 miles. It kind of made up for the uncomfortable, slow first 30 miles!

Summer is here in the Great Lakes!

Over the last few days we have been able to get Grey Hound out on the water again. There wasn't enough time, but then again there never is so we headed north and checked in at Waupoos and met up with our buds, the Merrill's and had a couple of good days swimming and eating. We had a good lunch at the Waupoos Winery and of course the food coming from both Otium and Grey Hound tasted fine. For the second night we went over near Halfmoon Bay (Prince Edward Bay) for a change of pace and got to anchor in 29 feet of water........that anchor was sure a long ways down!

Jeff & Cathy had to head back to Sackets Harbor for work but we had two more days so it was west to Wellington!

Waupoos......finally!

After a great week watching our friends in action it was time to head to a more quiet place so after two nights in Kingston we took off for some anchoring. Because the winds were blowing pretty good right out of the west we decided to go to Sato Bay for a night a wait out the blow. We had a lovely night and we saw our first Bald Eagle of the year on Lake Ontario along with his buddy, the osprey. Oh yea, a small water snake decided it would be "cool" to rest on our transom until we decided he was not our type.

From there we had a great sail all the way down the North Channel and only had one tack to the Upper Gap on the lake. We had two good nights at Waupoos. Nu-it took us to the Black River Cheese Factory and we also met up with an old friend, Les (Cadenza II). He took my begging to heart and made us his famous soda bread for the trip south across the lake. Thanks Les!! You haven't lost your touch!

As part of the Mimico Cruising club's group we also met David & Brenda aboard Wind Rose II and Mike and Allison sailing Soul Healer. It's a small world as David and Brenda know of Jim & Sharon of mv Blue Angel from days past when they too had a Bayfield 36.............